On Monday July 8, in Geneva, more than 100 WTO members called on the European Union to reconsider its approach to pesticide regulation, which is considered excessively restrictive in terms of trade. However, the EU considers that when it comes to the level of health protection for its population, there can be no compromise.
Among these members, the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries considered that the EU's approach would cause them disproportionate harm, stating that arbitrarily adopting European measures was contrary to the principle of facilitating development through trade. Bananas, wheat, coffee, papaya, grapes, walnuts, coconuts, sweet potatoes, mangos and palm oil are among the products that WTO members say will be affected by the EU's reduced tolerances for pesticide residue.
The reason for this revolt was the release on July 4 of a communication from 16 WTO members—including Canada and two Mercosur members— complaining about European measures taken in 2009 (Regulation 1107/2009 regulating the placing of plant protection products on the market) that were considered too restrictive by these trading partners.
“We call on the EU to reassess its hazard-based approach to the approval and renewal of authorisations for plant protection products, to confirm that import tolerance levels will continue to be established on the basis of internationally agreed risk assessment approaches, and to stop implementing measures such as these that unnecessarily and inappropriately restrict international trade”, stated the document.
It should be noted that in the EU, the European Parliament's Special PEST Committee, set up after the controversial renewal of the glyphosate licence in the EU, made its recommendations in December 2018 aimed at reforming the European pesticide authorisation procedure so that it was geared towards greater responsibility and independence (see EUROPE 12155/13).
The EU representative to the WTO replied to these criticisms, stating that the list of "hazards” for which it does not require exposure is limited, and that the risks associated with such exposure would be unacceptable.
Requests for tolerance for imports from some Members will be processed through a procedure that includes a full risk assessment, he added, ensuring that the EU understands the concerns of WTO Members and recognises the impact on trade of some of its measures. “The EU level of health protection cannot be compromised”, he concluded.
To consult the communication of the 16 that circulated at the WTO: https://bit.ly/2YHu2f1 (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel and Aminata Niang)